The invention relates to a plastic shoe with a decoration, in particular in the form of a clog having a sole and an upper part attached to the sole.
German Patent Document No. DE 84 06 746 U1 describes a plastic boot, the shaft of which is produced from a transparent plastic by injection molding. On the inside of the shaft there is a layer of reflective material which has warning functions, but can also be seen as decorative.
Since the decorative layer is provided on the inside, the effect of the layer is lost when the shaft material becomes cloudy over a period of time due to environmental influences. Furthermore, such a layer may be attached to the intended site only by a complex procedure.
The invention is thus based on the objective of providing a plastic shoe with a long-lasting decorative layer that remains readily visible over the lifetime of the shoe and is also easy to apply.
To attain this objective, the invention provides for a decorative film to be attached to the surface of the top side of the upper part.
As explained below, such a film is easily applied. It serves only as a carrier of the decoration and therefore may be designed to be very thin. A typical thickness is 0.2 to 0.3 mm.
The decoration is preferably applied by printing on the side of the decorative film facing the upper part. Thus the decorative printing on the shoe is protected between the film and the upper part.
An especially intimate connection between the film and the upper part is obtained if the film and upper part are both made of the same material, e.g., polyurethane.
The shoe itself is made of foamed polyurethane while the film is designed to be impervious and thus also covers the shoe in a waterproof layer.
The connection between the plastic material of the decorative film and the upper part is established by heating the plastic material of the upper part during foaming so that the bond between the decorative film and the upper part may be maintained without the use of adhesive.
The invention also relates to a method for producing a shoe, where the sole and the upper part are produced by introducing and foaming the shoe material in a casting mold consisting of at least one upper shell and one lower shell, where the inside of the upper shell forms the contour of the top side of the upper part.
This is a typical manufacturing process for a plastic shoe in the form of a clog, among other things. The sole and the upper part typically form a unit and are manufactured in one operation.
The production of such a shoe with an additional footbed made of a cork-rubber mixture is described in German Patent Document No. DE 201 12 431 U1.
The invention is thus based on the objective of supplementing the manufacturing process so that the shoe is provided with a decorative film applied to the outside in the simplest possible way.
To attain this objective, the invention provides for the decorative film to be arranged on the inside of the upper shell before introducing the shoe material.
The manufacturing process described above must therefore be supplemented by adding just one step, namely the arrangement of the decorative film on the upper shell. The other steps remain unchanged. During the foaming of the material of the upper part, the decorative film forms a surface bond with the upper part.
To ensure a secure and wrinkle-free hold of the decorative film to the upper shell, it is provided that the decorative film be held on the inside of the upper shell by means of a vacuum.
Therefore, a suction device generating the vacuum is used. The suction device has a fine-pored air-permeable metal foam molded body, preferably made of aluminum, forming at least the inner layer of the upper mold. For surface contact with the decorative film, the metal foam molded body extends beyond the decorative film, so it may be held against the metal foam molded body by vacuum over the full area.
In order for the decorative film to be able to adapt to the shape of the upper shell, the decorative film is heated, e.g., to 80° C., before applying it to the upper shell.
The invention will be explained in greater detail below on the basis of an exemplary embodiment.